meazza Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Canadian fans are ultimately a small part of the Bills' fan base - which is predominantly the Buffalo-Rochester market. Do the Bills even have a TV contract for Canada? The combined Buffalo-Rochester media market would rank about #27. Right around Hartford and Raleigh-Durham. The real problem isn't that the current number is unsustainable, but that that number is declining every year. More importantly, the decision to move a franchise is generally ultimately the decision of the owner. The NFL isn't going to tell Ralph Wilson to move - but Ralph Wilson dies, it probably isn't going to stand in the way of a new owner who wants to move to LA or Portland. JDG 594234[/snapback] Global Toronto which is a cable network most canadians have shows mostly bills games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleTheWagons Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Global Toronto which is a cable network most canadians have shows mostly bills games 594250[/snapback] Most Canadians have Global, not Global Toronto - Global shows the national or regional games in Canada. Toronto may get the Bills, but we don't get them out west. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 The "Why" was for your second point - why would Ralph Wilson be pissed if he were asked to move a home game to Toronto (Ralph surely would have the right to refuse, BTW)? And why would a season ticket holder feel stiffed about only having a 7-game package instead of an 8-game package? As for your first point - the next-most likely candidate for a team to move a home game to Toronto would be Jacksonville. Jacksonville is in the same time zone, has some difficulty selling out, etc. Somehow, though, I don't think that a Jacksonville home game in Toronto does much more for the NFL than a Buffalo home game. JDG 594246[/snapback] Well, unless the NFL is giving Ralph his cut of consessions and parking, etc, that he'd get in buffalo, he would not be happy, IMO. Why give up all that simply to have your game played less than a two-hour drive away? As for the fans, i think it's obvious. A 7 game package means you get one fewer game. then you'd have to "get in line" with the non-season ticket holders and Canadians to buy a crappy seat in Toronto. Also, I think you underestimate the appeal of the Bills in Southern Ontario. (I realize, i may overestimate this appeal...I have no data either way.) The current Ontario NFL fans are already watching the Bills, IMO. it offeres no more exposure to the NFL experience (players, coaches, stadiums, traditions, etc.). If Oakland played Jacksonville (at a time OTHER than the Bills game), Canadian fans would come to see the big-bad (yeah, right) Raiders. But, they's also be exposed to a entire new set of player and coaches. They'd get to see Randy Moss sleepwalk through a running play. Iamgine their faces when Byron Leftwich gets hurt and is carried to the line of scrimmage by his teamates, only to throw another interception. Seriously, it's the apppeal of "interleague" play in a sense. It gets Canadians(well, Ontarioians) to watch more of the NFL than just the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Most Canadians have Global, not Global Toronto - Global shows the national or regional games in Canada. Toronto may get the Bills, but we don't get them out west. 594253[/snapback] hmm you're right, i get global toronto because of my expressvu satellite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 This "bring the NFL to other countries" crap is just that. If the league is so friggin interested in doing that, why don't they put 4 NFLE teams in Canada and one in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara. They can play each other twice for a total of 10 games. Then, in 40 years after they're established, let the NFL expand to 38 teams. If one of the six flounders along the way - move THEM to LA (unless of course if the Patriots start losing a lot and their fans abandon them wholesale - then the Patriots would be the obvious team to move to LA). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I don't understand the discussion of the exchange rate (pesos or Canadian $). Won't the NFL just CHARGE MORE? 594198[/snapback] I saw a concert in Toronto a couple years ago, Peter Gabriel, same weekend as the Miami "Snow Bowl" game. Tickets prices and souveniers were priced the same as they would be in the US. So a $30 T-shirt was $30 Canadian, unless you paid by Credit Card, in which case the bank rate conversion was charged. Not sure if an NFL game would do the same or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 This "bring the NFL to other countries" crap is just that. If the league is so friggin interested in doing that, why don't they put 4 NFLE teams in Canada and one in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara. They can play each other twice for a total of 10 games. Then, in 40 years after they're established, let the NFL expand to 38 teams. If one of the six flounders along the way - move THEM to LA (unless of course if the Patriots start losing a lot and their fans abandon them wholesale - then the Patriots would be the obvious team to move to LA). 594406[/snapback] The main reason why the NFL has not expanded to Canada is the CFL. The NFL does not want to kill it, at least not yet. I am not sure of the league's popularity up north right now, so I don't know how much staying-power the league still has. The first place the NFL will look to in Canada would be Toronto. I fear what that might do to the Bills ticket sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 The main reason why the NFL has not expanded to Canada is the CFL. The NFL does not want to kill it, at least not yet. I am not sure of the league's popularity up north right now, so I don't know how much staying-power the league still has. The first place the NFL will look to in Canada would be Toronto. I fear what that might do to the Bills ticket sales. 594481[/snapback] CFL is doing alright. I don't think any Canadian team could support an NFL franchise. Montreal Alouettes are doing very well when it comes to attendance and other sales and yet still have trouble trying to make profits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 The main reason why the NFL has not expanded to Canada is the CFL. The NFL does not want to kill it, at least not yet. I am not sure of the league's popularity up north right now, so I don't know how much staying-power the league still has. The first place the NFL will look to in Canada would be Toronto. I fear what that might do to the Bills ticket sales. 594481[/snapback] Plus, the NFL wants to keep the CFL around a secondary developmental League, as long as NFL Europe remains on thin ice. JDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 The main reason why the NFL has not expanded to Canada is the CFL. The NFL does not want to kill it, at least not yet. I am not sure of the league's popularity up north right now, so I don't know how much staying-power the league still has. The first place the NFL will look to in Canada would be Toronto. I fear what that might do to the Bills ticket sales. 594481[/snapback] The are many reasons the NFL hasn't expanded to Canada, and the CFL is at the bottom of that list. Outside the Skydome, there are almost no NFL quality stadiums in Candada. When they play in Mexico City, the NFL sells out a 100,000 stadium. The SkyDome only seats only around 53,000 for football. That ranks them near the bottom of seating capacity in the NFL. The NFL has no concession agreement with the Canadian stadiums, like they do with the stadiums in their local markets. It's hard to believe that the Skydome would just let the NFL come in under the current deals they have with their local stadiums,. Canadian teams in the NHL and MLB have had revenue problems due to the exchange rate between the US and Canada. To keep up with revenue by American teams, Canadian teams would have to charge over $100 a game for the cheapest seats. Hard to imagine an NFL team suceeding where teams like Montreal and Ottawa in the NHL have struggled. And finally, the Canada and California have roughly the same population, which makes Canada an extremely small National market. And considering that the NFL already has saturation in the Canadian market, add a team in a Canadian market would only bring a small increase in the multi-billion dollar merchandising revenue they currently generate. It's nowhere near the size of the Latin American market that the league is trying to tap by staging games in Mexico City. So Canada has limited NFL-quality facilities, a small population, and a disadvantageous rate-of-exchange. To be a good neighbor, the NFL propts up the CFL, instead of saying that Canada is too small a fish for the NFL pond, and uses that as an excuse for avoiding the Canadian market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lamb Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Peter King reports today that Mexico City and Toronto will each bid strongly for an NFL regular season game to be played in their city in 2007. If Toronto wins, what NFL team is going to give up a home game to play in Toronto? Can you say the Bills??? Look for Bills-Jets to be in Toronto in 2007.... JDG 593839[/snapback] The SkyDome is not an NFL calibre stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleTheWagons Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 The SkyDome is not an NFL calibre stadium 594777[/snapback] Completely agree. As a Canadian, we do NOT need an NFL game, especially in Toronto. I'm not being anti-hogtown, but why on earth would they play a regular season game in Toronto when the Bills are so close for anyone who wants to watch an NFL game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Completely agree. As a Canadian, we do NOT need an NFL game, especially in Toronto. I'm not being anti-hogtown, but why on earth would they play a regular season game in Toronto when the Bills are so close for anyone who wants to watch an NFL game. 594819[/snapback] Answer: Simple. So the announcers, league officials and reporters could go up two days early, catch the ballet and not have to explain to their wives why they went to Canada if the game was in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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